The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-04-08
TEMPERANCE.
A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.

A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
Jim Prices Bad Dream.
Over and over this old world rolls,
1 read in my children's books;
And sometimes. when my wits were mixed,
] said: That's just how it looks
Over and over, and seldom will stop.
And there can't any fellow proven her;
But onee-how it happened perhaps you may
know
She halted right on the dead center!
Halted and stuck, and wouldn't once bulge.
You laugh! May neyermore sup
II didn't feel as grave as Judge;
For the world had stopped-wrong side uni
Wrong side up. and the steam reversed;
And every thing seemed to say:
You've had your frolic; now will have mine
Turn about's fair play"
Twas rascally trick for the world to NAV
And it made of my home quite a dem
And you'll readily see, when tell you the tale.
hope it won't happen again.
When the world was going all smooth and pre-
Csc,
My Mary was mostly at home.
Her clothes, for fact weren't overly nice:
She wasn't DESTROYS to roam.
But things changed around on that versatile
day!
1t was Twas at home in the rags;
And Mary was swapping her nickels and dimes
For whisky and beer at Jim Bragg'sl
There wasn't spark in the old broken stove,
No coal to put under the lids;
And the day was singer and breeZer. nv lads
And twas woe in my heart for the kids.
And the baby set up such pitiful wall.
] thought my poor head would be split:
And called, in my grief: Come home Mary
mine,''
But knew that showed little wit;
For she'd come soon enough, with whoop and
halloo,
Impartialiy, both sides the street,
And her voice would be thunder, and iron her
fist
My Mary that once was so sweet!
DID she know I was lonely, and hungry, and
cold,
In dread of her blow and her frown?
Oh. yes, she would know, and naught would
she care.
Old world, you Were upside down!
waited in vain, and the hours dragged on,
And my thoughts few bitter and dark
So this was the life had bargained for
I-gladsome ana gay as lark!
/ called to my mind T. promised to love,
And honor, and even obey!
Oh, Mary looked fine when she said she'd sspro-
tect,
And cherish, and love me for aye"
I had been protected" The cold wintry blast
Never struck me on-Fourth of July;
And most little breezes and blows on that day
Were cuph ne Won sSrflt i'm y7our owe
I think I'd been cherished" and carefully
kept
From burdensome raiment to wear;
From food densely packed with nutriment cells
My strength she ever would spare.
think she had "loved" me, much as you love
A pliable football, say;
And the proof of her tender and loving regard
She gave-in a similar way.
And that obstinate, resolute wicked old world
Stood still in it's study brown,
Till things that hadn't gone wrong side up
Were certainly upside down.
Icouldn't be patient forever, you know;
I loved social pleasure and ease;
And here 1 was, lonely, and hungry, and cold,
For my wife must her appetite please.
oh, would that an angel mighty and grand
AS famous big Samson of old,
Would give US lift! We'd presently roll
AS never before we rolled;
And we'd come right side up, and Mary'd be
here!
Would she give me kiss or a blow?
When the world was all right, Jimmy Price.
honor bright,
Which brought you from Braggs? Do you
know?
Ay, that was the query put to Jim Price,
And Jimmy's reply was blush.
He knew that the whisky and beer in q lad
Made blows, and not kisses, too flush.
had plenty of time to think it all Ger
And to wait the late homecoming feet.
The present was hunger and cold and despair
With woe in the future to meet.
heard them at last, with a quivering heart
The steps had learned to dread.
With her rush at the GoorI screamed-I woke {!
was there, with my boots on, in bed.
And there was my wife, so patient, SO dear,
And there was l, too-but so cheap,
wanted to charter a hickory shell,
And into it's shelter creep!
wanted to sell myself, "two for a cent"
Though feared it would be but swindle.
On, promise you, boys, with vision like mine,
Self-cOnceit will surprisingly dWindle.
They say that confession is good for the
soul;'
I think it's good for the body.
jumped from that bed like wild one, and
said:
External farewell to all toddy!
''My darling I've been an unlimited pig,
And self-made, into the bargain,
And haven't the ghost of decent excuse;
label the old ones jargon.'"
Oh Mary looked puzzled and startled, but glad,
AS I cried to her: Joy of my life,
God helping, I'll be much BONNER lad
Since trying to benny own wife!'
Julia 4. Willard, in H0nadn'S Journal